Integration of OHS into Risk Management in an Open-Pit Mining Project in Quebec (Canada)

Minerals

Adel Badri¹  Sylvie Nadeau¹ 

[1] Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Quebec, École de technologie supérieure, 1100 Notre Dame West, Montreal, PQ H3C 1K3, Canada; E-Mail:

关键词: occupational health and safety (OHS);    risk management;    industrial projects;    action research;    analytical hierarchy process (AHP);    open-pit mine;   

DOI  :  10.3390/min1010003

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Despite undeniable progress, the mining industry remains the scene of serious accidents revealing disregard for occupational health and safety (OHS) and leaving open the debate regarding the safety of its employees. The San José mine last collapse near Copiapó, Chile on 5 August 2010 and the 69-day rescue operation that followed in order to save 33 miners trapped underground show the serious consequences of neglecting worker health and safety. The aim of this study was to validate a new approach to integrating OHS into risk management in the context of a new open-pit mining project in Quebec, based on analysis of incident and accident reports, semi-structured interviews, questionnaires and collaborative field observations. We propose a new concept, called hazard concentration, based on the number of hazards and their influence. This concept represents the weighted fraction of each category of hazards related to an undesirable event. The weight of each category of hazards is calculated by AHP, a multicriteria method. The proposed approach included the creation of an OHS database for facilitating expert risk management. Reinforcing effects between hazard categories were identified and all potential risks were prioritized. The results provided the company with a rational basis for choosing a suitable accident prevention strategy for its operational activities.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2011 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.